Window actuator



G. W. GAGNON WINDOW ACTUATOR July 17, 1962 Filed Aug. 1, 1960 INVENTOR.

GEORGE w GAGNON BYJAAMQ' y 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 G. W. GAGNON WINDOW ACTUATOR 8 O 5 8 6 6 o 4 8 F 8 6 8 8 6 0 O 8 w w l 6 O 4 9 M 7 n e A m n F -==I- 8 (:8 9 5 2 w m 7 )4 O 2 5 ATTORNEYS rates The present invention relates to a window actuator of the type including a casing which is fastened to, for example, a window sill and having a window actuating arm extending from the casing. This arm can be oscillated by a crank extending from the casing, and the free end of the arm is provided with a roller which rides in a track carried by the window. Such general structure is shown in Patent No. 2,684,239 to Gatl'ney, Patent No. 2,321,800 to Cordrey et al., and Patent No. 2,337,913 to McClearen.

The casing of the present invention is provided with an internal shoulder forming an arcuately shaped guide having a single axis. That portion of window actuating arm which is within the casing is provided with a guided surface which complements the guide and is guided by the guide. This internal portion of the arm is provided with axially arranged teeth whose axis is coincident with the axis of the guide. The casing is provided with hearing surfaces, one of which is disposed at right angles with respect to the axis of the axially arranged gear teeth. This bearing guides a pinion and a worm gear fixed to one another. The pinion meshes with the gear teeth on the arm. The other bearing carries a shaft having a worm which meshes with the worm gear. A crank is provided by rotating the shaft, to thereby oscillate the window actuating arm.

In the preferred embodiment, the portion of the arm which is within the casing is provided with an arcuately shaped opening whose axis coincides with that of the guide in the casing and the gear teeth of that portion extends inwardly. The pinion extends into the opening in the arm with the teeth of the pinion in meshing relationship with the teeth in the arm portion.

Such actuating arm must be curved so that the free end thereof can be disposed adjacent the edge of the sill when the arm is in window closed position. In carrying out the present invention, the window actuating arm is invertible so that it can be used for windows which open clockwise and close counterclockwise, or which open counterclockwise and close clockwise.

Inasmuch as the arm is invertible, for the reason set forth, the fastening mechanism at the free-end of the window actuating arm for the roller is such that it can be snapped into positionor removed without special tools.

The advantages will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the improved window actuator, showing a fragment of a window in section;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the window actuator but on a larger scale;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 55 of FIG. 2.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the window frame is shown at 20 having two outwardly extending brackets the lower of which is shown at 22, fastened thereto. The window is generally shown at24, and it includes two arms, the lower of which is shown at 26. The arms 26 are pivoted to the brackets 22 by pivot pins, the lower of which is shown at 28. The frame of the window 30 is welded to the arms 26 and carries the glass pane 32. The bottom run 34 of the window frame is provided with a horizontally extending guide 36 for a roller 38. The mechanism thus far described is standard.

The window actuator 48 includes a casing 42. This casing includes an upper section 44 including a top wall 46 and integrally formed and downwardly extending, arcuately shaped side wall 48 and an integrally formed and downwardly extending rear wall 50. The rear wall extends outwardly at opposite sides of the side walls 48 as shown at 52, and these extended portions are provided with holes 54 for receiving screws for fastening the same to the front 56 of the window frame. The casing 48 also includes a lower plate 58 which is secured to the upper section 44 by screws 60.

The upper section 44 is provided with a centrally disposed and downwardly extending circular shoulder '62 formed by a downwardly extending web 64. This shoulder 62 forms a circular guide for the fiat circular por tion 66 of a window actuating arm 68. The circular portion 66 is formed integrally with the arm 68 and is provided with a central opening 78 and inwardly extending gear teeth 72. It will be observed from FIG. 3 a

that the lower part of the rear of the casing is open whereby the arm '68 can extend through the casing. Thus it will be seen that the shoulder 62 provides a guide for the window actuating arm 68 for its movement about an axis. Also it will be seen from FIG. 3 that the circular portion 66 of the arm 68 rests upon the plate 58 and is held in position by this plate and the under side of the top 46 of the upper section 44 of the casing 42.

As will be seen more clearly from FIG. 3, the top wall 46 is provided with a forwardly and upwardly extending bulge portion 74. This angularly disposed bulge portion 74 is correspondingly drilled as at 75 to provide a bearing for a shaft 76, the lower end of which is formed into a worm 78. The top 46 of the casing is also provided with a laterally and upwardly extending bulge portion which is drilled from the under side upwardly as at 82 and intersects the drilled opening 75. This drilled opening 82 has its axis arranged parallelly and to one side of the axis for the shoulder 62. The drilled opening 82 is further extended upwardly as at 84- and axially to provide an upper bearing for a shaft 86. The upper portion of this shaft carries a worm gear 88 which meshes with the worm 78 and is adapted to be rotated by the rotation of the worm. A pinion Q0 is also fastened to the shaft and it meshes with the teeth 72 on the inner portion 66 of the arm 68. The lower plate 58 is provided with a hole which is aligned with the shaft 86, which hole provides a bearing guide for the shaft 86.

A crank 92 is suitably attached tothe shaft 76 for rotating the same and the gear 78. Thus it will be seen that by turning the crank in one direction the worm 78 will drive the worm gear 88 which in turn will drive the shaft 86 and the pinion 90, and the pinion in turn will cause rotating movement in one direction to the window actuating arm 68. Obviously rotation of the crank in the opposite direction will cause the arm 68 to move in the opposite direction. Thus oscillatory movement can be imparted to the arm 68 by the crank 92. The end of the arm carries the roller 38 on the under side thereof, and this roller in conjunction with the guide 36 causes the window to be opened or closed by the movement of the crank 92.

It is necessary that the arm 68 have a bend or bow therein as is shown, so that the free end of the arm can be brought parallel with the window frame when I the window frame is closed. In the embodiment shown in counterclockwise directions.

in a counterclockwise direction andcloses in aclockwise direction, the bend must be opposite to that shown 'in It will, ofcourse, be understood that whenthe window opens when it is desirable to place the roller 38 on the left .side of the arm 68, as viewed in FIG. 5.

verted as is shown in the dotted line position in FIG. 2 f

whereby the same arm can be used for window construction in which the windows open in clockwise or All that needs to be done is to remove the plate 58 and install the arm so that it extends either to the right or left.

The roller 38 usually extends upwardly, and the shaft therefor is detachably secured to the extreme end of the arm 68. Referring specifically to FIG. 5, the arm is drilled as at 94 at right angles to the arm, and is counterhored to the same depth on opposite sides as is shown at 96 and 98. The shaft 100 is provided with an enlarged portion 102 which maybe inserted either into the counterbore, 96 or counterbore 98, and this shaft also carries the roller 38 at one end thereof. A groove 106 is formed adjacent the opposite end of the shaft 100 for receiving a split ring 108. If, for example, the

roller is placed on the right side of the arm '68, as shown in FIG. 5, the assembly including the shaft 100, the roller 38 and the split ring 108 is inserted from the right and then pressed manually inwardly. The split ring 108, being formed of resilient material, will be cammed radially inwardly as it passes the right side of the drilled opening 94, and then after it reaches the recess or counterbored portion 96 it will be expanded to yieldingly hold the shaft in position. To remove the shaft and roller assembly, it is necessary only to exert manual force to the right on the left side of the shaft 100 and again the split ring 108 will be camrned radially inwardly so as to pass through the drilled hole 94. Obviously the assembly can be attached in the same manner From the foregoingit will be seen thatthere has been provided a window actuator which can be used for windows opening either in a clockwise or a counterclockwise direction.

While the form of embodiment herein shown and described constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms may be adopted falling within the scope of the claims that follow.

I claim:

1. A windowactuator comprising a casingincluding a section forming a horizontally disposed support surface and having an internal shoulder forming an armately shaped vertical guide about said surface, said guide having a single axis; a bowed, horizontally disposed window actuating arm extending outwardly of the easing and including a portion within thecasing and having surfaces on opposite sides thereof, each complementing the supporting surface of the casing and having a guided surface on the periphery of said armcomplementing said guide, said portion having a circular opening axially aligned with said guide and having axially arranged gear teeth extending into said opening, said casing forming a bearing surface disposed at right angles to the axis of the gear teeth; a pinion guided by said bearing surface and having teeth meshing with the teeth of said arm portion; a worm gear fixed to and axially aligned with said pinion for rotating said pinion, said casing forming a second bearing; a shaft journaled in the second mentioned bearing including a worm meshing with the worm gear; and a crank fixed to said shaft.

2. A window actuator as defined in claim 1, characerized in that said casing includes a plate fixed to the casing for retaining said arm portion and said pinion and worm gear in operative positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,304,960 Schaue Dec. 15, 1942 2,337,913 McClearen Dec. 28, 1943 2,949,042 Bennett Aug. 16, 1960 

